Best of our wild blogs: 30 Nov 15

The other side of Singapore's Marine Park: St. John's Island
wild shores of singapore

Love MacRitchie Walk
ECO @ COP

Thick-edged Sand Dollar (Jacksonaster depressum) @ Coney Island
Monday Morgue

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Sisters' Islands Marine Park designated for research, conservation activities

The marine park’s location was chosen due to the islands' rich marine biodiversity. Scientists hope the conservation of the reefs can help flourish the rest of Singapore's waters.
Nur Afifah Ariffin, Channel NewsAsia 29 Nov 15;

SINGAPORE: The Sisters' Islands Marine Park, unveiled in July 2014, has been designated for research and conservation activities of Singapore's marine life, as part of the Marine Conservation Action Plan.

The marine park is Singapore’s first and spans about 40 hectares around the islands, which include the western reefs and seashore areas of Pulau Tekukor and St John's Island.

The islands are quietly nestled in the southern shores of Singapore and provide a quaint respite from the bustling city life. Legend has it that two sisters, Minah and Lina, drowned in these waters and turned into two islands - Pulau Subar Laut and Pulau Subar Darat - or the Sisters' Islands.

The marine park’s location was chosen due to the islands' rich marine biodiversity. Scientists hope the conservation of the reefs can help flourish the rest of Singapore's waters.

"Some of the research we have done indicate that Sisters’ Islands, compared to all the other islands, has the potential of being the strongest source reef for Singapore, which basically means, if we can improve the biodiversity here, it will be a place that seeds other areas,” said Dr Karenne Tun, deputy director of the National Biodiversity Centre at National Parks Board (NParks). “So our main goal is to keep Sisters a thriving biodiverse community that will then continue to populate the other reef areas in Singapore."

The islands are most popular during low tides, when visitors can see all the marine life at the intertidal area. To encourage a deeper appreciation of Singapore's marine biodiversity, NParks recently opened up two dive trails to the public.

PUBLIC DIVE TRAILS

It takes about 15 to 20 minutes by boat from Sentosa to the dive site at Sisters' Islands.

The trails provide divers the chance to get close to a plethora of marine life. They are guided through 20 stations marked by signboards which highlight different types of marine creatures nearby. Visibility may not be as excellent as other dive sites around the region, but dive enthusiasts say the marine life there is abundant.

"In a place like the Marine Park we've got interesting life that comes from a healthy reef like this,” said Mr Stephen Beng, director and owner of Sea Hounds, one of the approved dive operators. “So some of the things that we enjoy are schooling fish, like parrot fish, and angel fish also among them. We've got really cool invertebrates like salt blade shrimp that hang out on a whip coral. We've got the elusive tiger tail seahorses and our own species of hippocampus guda. And a lot of nocturnal guys that hang out only at night."

To protect the marine biodiversity, only experienced divers are allowed on the trails. Only dive operators certified by NParks can organise these trips.

"Dive operators must respect the fact that this is a marine park first and foremost and so there shouldn't be this commercial pressure to bring people out to this reef, this really special reef, and conduct training for example,” said Mr Beng. “So there must be a preparedness in terms of people bringing divers out as well as divers themselves."

RELOCATING ENDANGERED GIANT CLAMS

The Marine Park is also home to the endangered Tridacna Gigas, or Giant Clams.

The giant clams are the largest species of bivalve mollusk in the world and can grow up to 1.2 metres in size. They are no longer found in Singapore, but there is historical evidence that they used to grow in local waters.

The clams are now being re-introduced into Singapore waters by scientists from the Tropical Marine Science Institute. They have been working on the project since 2009.

“In 2009, when I started my PhD, I conducted a comprehensive survey on what giant clam species we have in Singapore,” said Dr Neo Mei Lin, a research fellow at the Tropical Marine Science Institute. “Apart from doing reef surveys to find out what do we have now, I did a literature survey as well.

“During that period of time, we encountered some people from the museum and they actually shared with us a very important piece of information, which is an excavation somewhere near the current site of People's Association. They actually found a whole mass of giant clam shells. And not just any kind of giant clam shells, but shells of about 80-90cm. And that's a very strong indication that that's a very important species, which is Tridacna Gigas, a species that wasn't recorded in Singapore for almost 50 years or so."

Six of Tridacna Gigas clams have been successfully relocated into the reef at Sisters' Islands. They were imported from the Philippines, and harvested at the Tropical Marine Science Institute located at neighbouring St John's Island.

It took two years for the clams to be acclimatised before they were carefully placed back into their natural habitat.

The park has also been welcomed by the public. Since its opening in 2014, more than 1,200 people have taken part in the guided intertidal walks. Many have also visited the Marine Park Public Gallery located at the more accessible St John's Island.

SUSTAINABLE ACTIVITIES

To minimise impact on the untouched islands, NParks is also looking at sustainable activities with the least urban footprint.

"Out here you hear the waves crashing, you look at the beautiful vegetation. We don't want to take that away from the people. We don't want to create an artificial park within Sisters'. We want to keep it as natural as it is now,” said Dr Tun. “So the feasibility studies will help us look at the best way to maintain the charm of the Sisters but at the same time provide facilities that people can use to minimise impact as well as enjoy the natural environment better."

Among some of the park's future plans is a turtle hatchery.

“There are quite a few sightings of turtle on east coast, East Coast beach and Changi, and quite a few incidents where turtles have been found dead by the beach and that's basically because they've been impacted by vessels moving around,” said Dr Tun. “We do realise that turtles do come to Singapore quite often I think within this year alone there have been four sightings. What we thought, working with experts is to set up an area where we could collect the eggs found on the beach, bring it here and hatch them out in controlled environments that will ensure maximum survivability."

The hatchery will be located at the smaller island, which will be closed off for research and conservation. The larger island will remain as a gateway for the public to explore its rich marine fauna and flora.

- CNA/ek

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Series to discuss ideas for Singapore’s future launched

AMANDA LEE Today Online 30 Nov 15;

SINGAPORE — Picking up on where the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) series left off, a new series of engagement sessions to get Singaporeans to talk about their ideas for the future was launched today (Nov 29).

First announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong when he unveiled the Cabinet line-up after the Sept 11 General Election, the SGfuture series will be led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu and Minister in the Prime Minister’s office Chan Chun Sing.

Speaking at the official launch of the Future of Us exhibition at Gardens by the Bay today, Mr Lee said Singapore was coming to the close of SG50 and “beginning a new chapter of the Singapore story”.

“Our future depends on what we make of it together and it’s up to each one of us to voice our hopes and our future dreams, to make the choices to realise these dreams, to help one another and work as team Singapore to shape our own destiny, so that we can build a Singapore that is inclusive, diverse but united,” said Mr Lee.

The SGfuture sessions, which began today, will be held till to the middle of next year. They will be organised by various agencies and non-profit organisations, and will explore areas such as fostering a caring community, building a sustainable home, creating opportunities for learning, and strengthening community and national resilience.

“I hope you will step forward to work with fellow Singaporeans to shape our future, the future of us, so that by SG 100, we will have another celebration as happy and satisfying as this,” said Mr Lee.

The OSC series, announced a year after the 2011 General Election, was a year-long exercise led by then-Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.

About 47,000 Singaporeans were engaged in 660 sessions, with the feedback culminating in a report that set out ideals Singaporeans wanted for their government. The report found that Singaporeans wanted a government that was ready for diverse views, had empathy and was open to engaging with citizens.

Speaking to reporters today, Ms Fu said Singapore faces the challenge of keeping society united “as we find new fault lines in a very new nation”. “So getting citizens involved, engaged (is) the objective of SGfuture and Future of Us, (allowing us) the platform to engage many, many Singaporeans.”

She urged Singaporeans to think about the future and “pledge to do something” with their family and friends for Singapore. “This is not just about giving your ideas,” said Ms Fu. “It’s about putting your ideas into action and together ... as a united people really striving forward to bring about a better future for Singapore.”

The OSC, she said, provided a “very good idea” of the aspirations of Singaporeans, and the next phase is to “bring action into reality”. “It can be a small project to encourage recycling, a small project to volunteer to look after the elderly in the neighbourhood, it can be across many many sectors.”

Asked about the timeline and scope of the series, Ms Fu said time was needed to work out the details and it was “a bit early” to talk about “concrete numbers” for now.

Meanwhile, the Future of Us exhibition will run till March 8 next year. The exhibition opens to the public Tuesday, but some Singaporeans were invited to a preview today. Among them was Mdm Shermeen Ng, who liked the futuristic concepts that were featured, like the cars of the future. “It will be excellent for my children,” said Mdm Ng, who is in her 30s and works in human resources in a bank. She visited the fair with her mother-in-law and two children.

Admission to the exhibition is free, but visitors are encouraged to register for tickets in advance at www.thefutureofus.sg. Tickets for January will be made available Tuesday.


SGfuture dialogue sessions launched to engage youth on Singapore's future
The aim of the SGfuture engagement series is to spur youths to envision their hopes and aspirations for Singapore.
Faris Mokhtar Channel NewsAsia 29 Nov 15;

SINGAPORE: SGfuture, an engagement series to spur Singapore youths to envision their hopes and aspirations for Singapore, was launched on Sunday (Nov 29).

The first dialogue session of the engagement series was held on Sunday at The Future of Us exhibition, located near Gardens by the Bay. One of the topics discussed among 100 youths aged between 16 and 35 was exploring how to develop an empathetic society that reaches out to and cares for the elderly.

The youths were also encouraged to turn their ideas and suggestions that were raised during the discussions into reality.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, who will co-lead the effort together with Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, said the engagement series is an opportunity to chart the future.

"We kick off the series with our youth, and we hope it will spur more young Singaporeans into thinking how we can build a Singapore that we will continue to be proud of," she explained, speaking at the launch of SGfuture.

"The Singapore Conversation gives us very good ideas about the aspirations of Singapore... The next phase that we're doing, which is SGfuture, is to bring action into reality," she added.

The various dialogue sessions will be organised by various Government agencies as well as non-profit organisations. Those interested in participating in the upcoming sessions can do so by signing up at the SGfuture website.

- CNA/xq



Volunteer hub among ideas at first SGfuture session
AMANDA LEE Today Online 30 Nov 15;

SINGAPORE — The SGfuture engagement series kicked off today (Nov 29) with 100 youth leaders and young working adults brainstorming for ideas for Singapore’s future.

Organised by the National Youth Council (NYC), the participants were aged between 16 and 35 years old, and came from a range of backgrounds, from working in the private sector (22 per cent) to members of Youth Corps Singapore (35 per cent).

They were split into six groups to discuss ideas such as the future of security, building an empathetic society and creating opportunities for youths from all backgrounds.

Among the ideas to emerge at the session was having a volunteer hub to share resources for volunteering programmes. Ms Murugiah Komala, marketing manager of social enterprise Project Dignity, which works with the disabled and disadvantaged, said a volunteer hub would make it easier to people to start volunteer programmes and or take part in them. For example, it could serve as a database, said Ms Komala, 27, who was in the group discussing how to build an empathetic society.

Final-year Temasek Polytechnic student Andria Tan, who was part of the group discussing opportunities for youths, said her group talked about why people are happy in their jobs. “We want to find out how they can be satisfied in their jobs even without earning a good pay,” said the 19-year-old, who is also part of the Youth Corps Singapore.

Speaking to reporters, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Desmond Lee said there was a “diversity of views” during the session.

“You cannot expect (from) one session (to have) a confluence of ideas. In fact you want the diversity to drive a momentum forward, added Mr Lee, who is also chairman of the Youth Corps Singapore Advisory Committee and Council Member of the NYC.

He also described the sessions as a “call to action” rather than a dialogue session. “We want people to take up projects, to take up collaborations with each other and with government and civil society and to make things happen,” he said.

Another four sessions will be held this month, including one Tuesday by Halogen Foundation Singapore on empowering youths from underprivileged backgrounds. The public can go to www.singapore50.sg/SGfuture for more information.


PM Lee: Let's unite and build towards SG100
Walter Sim, Calvin Yang, The New Paper AsiaOne 30 nov 15;

BY HELPING one another and working as a team, Singaporeans can shape the nation's destiny and forge a future that is inclusive and united in diversity, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

Speaking at the launch of The Future Of Us exhibition at Gardens by the Bay, Mr Lee looked back at how the nation had overcome uncertainty and racial tensions during independence, as he cast an eye on what the future of Singapore will be like 50 years from today.

Singapore as it is now is the "work of more than one generation, each standing on the shoulders of the ones who came before", he said, crediting pioneers for their sacrifice and for building Singapore up brick by brick.

Likewise, Singapore's future "depends on what we make of it together", he added. "It is up to each one of us to voice our hopes and future dreams, to make the choices to realise these dreams."

The free Future Of Us exhibition, which opens to the public tomorrow at Gardens by the Bay, is the capstone event of the year-long SG50 Golden Jubilee celebrations. It has seen overwhelming response with more than 85 per cent of tickets booked for the opening month.

The exhibition, which will end on March 8 next year, envisions how daily living will be like in 2030, with possible innovative developments in areas such as transport, housing and healthcare.

The SG50 celebrations have "been an extra special year for all of us and I am sure each of us has his or her own special memories", Mr Lee noted.

He said looking forward will involve "coming together as one people, one nation, one Singapore, re-dedicating ourselves to build a better Singapore (and) looking forward to the possibilities ahead of us".

Mr Lee also said that it was fitting to have taken part in the SG50 Jubilee Big Walk earlier yesterday morning, going past historic and iconic sites in the Civic District.

Some 25,000 people took part in the 5km mass walk, organised by The New Paper and the People's Association.

It included part of a permanent 8km commemorative trail, known as the Jubilee Walk that Mr Lee also launched yesterday, which connects more than 20 historic and iconic locations within the Civic District and Marina Bay precinct.

The event was flagged off by Mr Lee at the National Museum of Singapore, the walk's starting point.

The mass walk's route took participants past key landmarks and sites that mark significant events in the nation's development, including the Padang and Parliament House, before ending at the Meadow at Gardens by the Bay.

Mr Lee - who took selfies with some participants, shook hands with others and exchanged high fives with young children - also launched the 220m Jubilee Bridge that connects the Merlion Park and the waterfront promenade by the Esplanade.

He then made a brief visit of the SG Heart Map Festival at the Marina Bay floating platform.


Singaporeans must work together to shape their future: PM Lee
The Government will be launching new citizen engagement series SGfuture, two years after the conclusion of the nationwide feedback-gathering exercise Our Singapore Conversation.
Justin Ong and Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia 29 Nov 15;

SINGAPORE: The future of Singapore depends on what Singaporeans make of it together, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday (Nov 29).

He was speaking at the launch of the Future of Us exhibition, which offers a glimpse into what living in Singapore could be like in 2030.

"What will our future be like? That's what the Future of Us exhibition is about. It's up to each one of us to voice our hopes and future dreams. To make the choices to realise these dreams. To help one another and work as Team Singapore, to shape our own destiny so that we can build our own Singapore that's inclusive, diverse but united," Mr Lee said.

To that end, the Government is kicking off the SGfuture citizen engagement series. The initiative will be led by ministers Grace Fu and Chan Chun Sing, and will provide Singaporeans with a platform to come together to share their views, aspirations and ideas for the future through discussions and dialogue sessions.

The initiative builds on the nationwide Our Singapore Conversation, the largest feedback-gathering exercise in the nation’s history, which involvedinvolving more than 660 dialogue sessions where Singaporeans discussed their views on Government policies.

Mr Lee said he hoped Singaporeans will help shape their collective future through the engagement series.

"I hope you will step forward to work with fellow Singaporeans to shape our future – the Future of Us," he said. "So that by SG 100, we will have another celebration as happy and satisfying as this."

Mr Lee added: "Fifty years from now, our children can come back and tell their grandchildren: It was here they caught a glimpse of what they could create for the future, and we were moved to turn dreams into reality and to write the next chapter of the Singapore story.

“And that is why after SG50, Singapore continued to be an endearing and shining little red dot for many more years to come."

The Future of Us exhibition runs from Dec 1 to Mar 8. It will be the last major event to round up the nation's SG50 celebrations. More than 85 per cent of tickets for December have been snapped up.

- CNA/cy


Ministers urge Singaporeans to take action for the future
Walter Sim, My Paper AsiaOne 30 Nov 15;

A NEW series of public engagement sessions kicked off yesterday, with the aim of encouraging Singaporeans to share their views about the future and turn them into reality.

The SGfuture series will run until the middle of next year. It is led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing.

"This is a crucial point for us to look beyond SG50 towards SG100 and amongst the challenges that Singapore will face is how to keep the society united as we find new fault lines in a very new nation," Ms Fu told reporters.

Added Mr Chan in a statement: "The SGfuture engagements are timely in getting Singaporeans to build consensus about the future they wish to have, and to commit these aspirations to action."

The dialogue series will take inspiration from some of the possible scenarios presented at The Future Of Us exhibition, which opens to the public tomorrow and was launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

It aims to build on the nationwide Our Singapore Conversation that was completed two years ago.

Ms Fu said the exercise had provided very good ideas about the aspirations of Singaporeans, such as compassion and care for the environment, which were subsequently captured in The Future Of Us exhibition.

"We want Singaporeans to step forward to put the values that they have envisioned in Our Singapore Conversation into action," she said, adding that some of the possible ground-up projects could involve recycling and volunteering to look after the elderly.

The first session yesterday, organised by the National Youth Council, had 100 young participants aged between 16 and 35. They discussed issues such as security, the environment and how to build an empathetic society.

Addressing the youth participants, Ms Fu urged them to "carry the torch" started by pioneer Singaporeans and to "carry it further and better for us".

Members of the public can visit www.singapore50.sg/SGfuture to sign up for upcoming sessions.

The session on Wednesday involves non-profit organisations and envisions the future of giving in Singapore, while another on Friday will explore how to foster meaningful engagement through the arts.

Earlier yesterday, Mr Lee urged Singaporeans to actively participate in the SGfuture exercise so as to "shape our future, the Future Of Us".

That way, 50 years from now, the young generation of Singaporeans today can tell their grandchildren or even great-grandchildren it was here they "caught a glimpse of what they could create for the future, were moved to turn these dreams into reality and to write the next chapter of the Singapore story".

"And that is why after SG50, Singapore continued to be an endearing and shining little red dot for many, many years to come," said Mr Lee.


PM Lee launches platforms to discuss nation's future
Walter Sim, Straits Times AsiaOne 30 Nov 15;

By helping one another and working as a team, Singaporeans can shape the nation's identity and build a country that is inclusive and united in diversity, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

As he launched the Future Of Us exhibition at Gardens by the Bay, he said: "It is up to each one of us to voice our hopes and future dreams, to make the choices to realise these dreams."

Mr Lee also announced the launch of the SGfuture series of dialogues, which he said will kick off the journey into the next 50 years.

The new dialogues will be led by Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, and aim to build on the ideas of the nationwide Our Singapore Conversation that ended in 2013.

The first session started yesterday, with young Singaporeans discussing issues such as security, the environment, and how to build an empathetic society.

In his speech, Mr Lee noted that the Singapore of today is the "work of more than one generation, each standing on the shoulders of the ones who came before".

He credited the pioneer generation for their determination to see the country prevail, even when the future was bleak and racial tensions were high in the early years.

Through the effort of generations of Singaporeans, the country was transformed, and people's lives improved, he said.

Likewise, the country's future will depend on "what we make of it together", he added.

He made the remarks before a tour of the exhibition, which will open to the public tomorrow. The capstone event of the year-long SG50 Golden Jubilee celebrations aims to get Singaporeans thinking about the nation's next chapter.

The exhibition depicts scenarios of how daily living will be like in the year 2030. In a segment where visitors can pen their dreams for the future, Mr Lee wrote: "May we abound with greenery and fresh air!"

Earlier yesterday, he launched the 8km Jubilee Walk commemorative trail, a permanent trail that passes by key historic and iconic sites marking Singapore's development, including the Padang.

He also visited the SG Heart Map Festival, which celebrates the favourite places of Singaporeans, at the Marina Bay floating platform.

Mr Lee said with the SG50 celebrations, it has been "an extra special year for all of us and I am sure each of us has his or her own special memories".

With the Jubilee year coming to an end, said Mr Lee yesterday, it was fitting to launch an exhibition about Singapore's future.

He called on Singaporeans to come together "as one people, one nation, one Singapore", and to rededicate themselves to building a better Singapore.

Mr Lee said he hopes that 50 years from now, today's young generation of Singaporeans will tell their grandchildren or even great-grandchildren: "It was here they caught a glimpse of what they could create for the future, were moved to turn these dreams into reality and to write the next chapter of the Singapore story.

"And that is why after SG50, Singapore continued to be an endearing and shining little red dot for many many years to come."


Singapore starts new public engagement initiative, looking at SG100
Soon Weilun, The Straits Times AsiaOne 30 Nov 15;

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday encouraged Singaporeans to voice their views on what they hope Singapore will be like over the next few decades, and called on all to work together to help shape that future.

To strengthen national unity in the process, the government is launching a new public engagement initiative called "SGfuture", to solicit ideas to attain that vision.

Mr Lee made the announcement on Sunday after taking part in two major events - the SG50 Jubilee Big Walk and the launch of the exhibition "The Future of Us" - that brimmed with significance in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Singapore's independence.

Said Mr Lee: "I hope you will step forward to work with your fellow Singaporeans to shape our future - the future of us. So by SG100, we'll have another celebration as happy and satisfying as this one."

The SGfuture series is expected to run until the middle of next year, and will build on ideas solicited through the year-long Our Singapore Conversation, a similar government initiative that kicked off in September 2012.

The SGfuture series will be led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing.

Noting that there are now "new fault lines" appearing, Ms Fu told reporters that the launch of SGfuture will be integral in helping Singaporeans maintain a sense of unity as the country charts its way forward.

"This is a crucial point for us to look beyond SG50 towards SG100, and among the challenges that Singapore will face is how to keep the society united as we find new fault lines in a very new nation," she said.

This new series of engagement will take inspiration from the possibilities presented in "The Future of Us".

Through focused discussions and dialogue sessions, organisers hope to attract Singaporeans to share their views for the future.

In addition, Singaporeans are also encouraged to turn these ideas into reality by taking part in workshops and embarking on projects.

The first SGfuture session, organised by the National Youth Council, was held on Sunday.

One hundred youths aged between 16 and 35 took part. They discussed issues such as security, the environment, and how to build an empathetic society.

Members of the public can visit www.singapore50.sg/sgfuture to sign up for upcoming sessions.

"The Future of Us" exhibition, held at Gardens by the Bay, will open to the public on Tuesday.

The three-month-long free exhibition draws upon government research papers and masterplans as well as ideas collected from youth seminars and Our Singapore Conversation.

It comprises six interactive zones, four of which will be housed in four purpose-built domes.

Gardens by the Bay was the end point of a 5km walk that PM Lee took part in earlier on Sunday.

In the SG50 Jubilee Big Walk, organised by The New Paper and People's Association, Mr Lee and some 25,000 participants walked past key landmarks and sites that mark significant events in the nation's development, including the Padang and Parliament House.

He also launched the 220-metre Jubilee Bridge that connects Merlion Park and the waterfront promenade by the Esplanade.


Young Singaporeans throw up ideas for country's future at dialogue
Walter Sim, The Straits Times AsiaOne 1 Dec 15;

A young man suggested organising communal feasts to celebrate Singapore's diversity, while another proposed teaching first aid to all Singaporeans so that they can help in the event of emergencies.

The ideas flew thick and fast yesterday when 100 young Singaporeans came together at the first session of the SGfuture dialogue series, to talk about their hopes for the country, and how they can bring them to fruition.

Led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, it is a new public engagement exercise, following the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) completed two years ago.

Ms Fu told reporters yesterday: "This is a crucial point for us to look beyond SG50 towards SG100, and among the challenges that Singapore will face is how to keep the society united as we find new fault lines in a very new nation."

Mr Chan said in a statement that he hoped it will get Singaporeans to "build consensus about the future they wish to have, and to commit these aspirations to action".

The SGfuture series, which will run until the middle of next year, will draw inspiration from the possible scenarios presented at The Future Of Us exhibition, which opens to the public tomorrow.

Ms Fu said SGfuture will also build on the hopes and values Singaporeans shared in the OSC: "We want Singaporeans to step forward to put the values that they have envisioned in the OSC into action."

During yesterday's session, organised by the National Youth Council, participants aged between 16 and 35 discussed issues such as security, the environment and building an empathetic society.

UniSIM finance undergraduate Kenneth Yap, 23, was actively involved in a discussion on how to encourage less consumerism. He said of the exercise: "It kick-starts the imagination on what is possible and can actually be done."

Public servant Mohamed Khairul Anwar Mohamed Abdul Alim, 31, said it was a good reminder to be attuned to the potential shortcomings of one's own positions. "A lot of issues today are open-ended and multi-dimensional," he said.

Members of the public can visit www.singapore50.sg/SGfuture to sign up for upcoming sessions.

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Nearly 100 rescued after Batam-Singapore ferry hits floating object

All 97 passengers on board, including 51 Singaporeans and seven crew members, are safe and accounted for, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
Channel NewsAsia 30 Nov 15;

SINGAPORE: Nearly 100 people were rescued after their ferry heading to Singapore from the Indonesian island of Batam hit a floating object on Sunday night (Nov 29).

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it received a report at about 9.45pm that an Indonesia-registered ferry “Sea Prince” had hit a floating object after leaving the Nongsapura ferry terminal in Batam.

It said at the time of the incident, the ferry was in Indonesian waters and heading towards Singapore with 97 passengers, including 51 Singaporeans and seven crew.

The ferry operator, Batamfast, immediately activated two ferries to transfer all the passengers to the Nongsapura ferry terminal. All the passengers are accounted for and the ferry is in a stable condition, MPA said.

One of the passengers, Ms Chella Ho, who was travelling with two other friends, told Channel NewsAsia that the ferry sank slowly in deep waters halfway between Batam and Singapore.

She said the ferry operator launched two inflatable boats from the ferry for the passengers, but both inflatable boats also sank due to the overload. All the passengers wore life-saving jackets.

Ms Ho said some nearby vessels immediately came to their rescue and all passengers were saved. She said all passengers later arrived at Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal safely.

- CNA/de


All 97 passengers rescued after Batam-Singapore ferry hits floating object
AsiaOne 30 Nov 15;

SINGAPORE - All 97 passengers on board a ferry on route to Singapore from Batam were safely rescued after the ferry had hit a floating object and began to sink slowly, according to local media reports.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it had received a report at about 9.45pm of the incident involving Indonesia-registered ferry, "Sea Prince", that departed from the Nongsapura ferry termimal in Batam.

At the time of the incident, the ferry was in Indonesian waters.

It was heading for Singapore with 97 passengers, including 51 Singaporeans and 7 crew.

One passenger told Channel NewsAsia that the ferry began to sink slowly in deep waters halfway between Batam and Singapore.

Ferry operator Batamfast immediately activated two ferries to transfer all the passengers, said MPA in its statement late Sunday (Nov 29) night.

The rescue ferries brought the passengers back to Nongsapura ferry terminal.

"All the passengers are accounted for and the ferry is in stable condition," said MPA.

Eventually, all passengers later returned to Singapore Tanah Merah ferry terminal safely, reported Channel News Asia.


Passenger ship plying in Batam-Singapore lane sinks
Antara 1 Dec 15;

Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) - A passenger ship plying the Batam-Singapore route, which was carrying 97 people, including the crew, sank after hitting a floating object, but all the passengers survived.

"The accident occurred on Sunday night. The ship had sailed from Batam, carrying 97 people in all, including the crew. In the middle of the ocean, the ship hit a floating object," Harbor master of the Nongsapura port in Batam, Syahrim, stated on Monday.

According to him, the accident occurred when the ship was in the waters between Batam and Singapore

"It happened likely due to human error because the weather was good," he said.

Luckily, other ships which happened to be sailing close to the ill-fated passenger ship, immediately approached the vessel and rescued all the passengers.

"Thank God, all the passengers were safe and there were no injuries. Currently, the passengers have been taken by another ship to Singapore," Syahrim said.

With regard to the incident, the port master reminded all skippers to be more cautious, given the fact that the shipping route from Batam to Singapore is very crowded.

In addition to passenger ships, many cargo vessels and large tankers also cross the waters, Syahrim said, adding that the passenger ship which sails from Batam normally reaches Singapore in less than 60 minutes.(*)


Batam ferry incident: Passenger claims overcrowded rafts burst during evacuation
AsiaOne 30 Nov 15;

SINGAPORE - A number of passengers who were on board the "Sea Prince" ferry that hit a floating object while en route to Singapore from Batam have taken to social media, claiming that the rescue process had been dangerous and disorganised.

One passenger who was on the ferry, Adilah Rahmat, claimed that during the evacuation process, one of the life rafts that had been inflated had a leak, while another burst due to overcrowding.

In a lengthy Facebook post which recounted the incident in detail, she also claimed that the ferry had hit more than one object, and that two passengers had to offer their assistance when the engine room started filling up with water.

"During this time, no updates were given to the passengers from any crew members or the captain of the vessel," she recalled. She added that it was the passengers who took the initiative to get others to put on their life jackets, and that it was a passenger who went around to ensure that the lift jackets were properly secured.

Eventually, the ferry's captain told the passengers on board that a ship that had been deployed could not draw near to the ferry due to the shallow waters, and that life rafts would be used for the evacuation. Ms Adilah said that three rafts were inflated, and the passengers agreed to allow the elderly and children to be brought to safety first.

"Just as there were about 20 odd people on the first raft, someone realised that there was a leak in the raft. Air was released due to a hole in the raft. A second raft had to be opened to save the others."

A third raft was also inflated to help evacuate more passengers. "Unfortunately, the third raft burst due to overloading capacity. The passengers on the third raft panicked because they could not feel their feet on the raft anymore. Water had come in and the base of the raft was torn apart and was sinking," Ms Adilah recounted in her post, adding that passengers had to hold onto a rope encircling the raft.

Two small boats then approached the burst raft to help the passengers who were in the water, and they were all transferred into one of the boats after about 30 to 40 minutes.

But the passengers' troubles were not over yet, according to Ms Adilah, as passengers on board the second life raft then began shouting that their raft was sinking with water starting to enter.

"The boat and small boat then made its way to the second raft and transferred everyone into the boat," she said. The boats then made their way back to the Nongsapura Ferry Terminal.

The problems continued after the group returned to the Nongsapura Terminal. They were quickly ushered into another ferry, but a passenger then realised that there had not been any indication if all passengers had been accounted for.

They soon realised that two people who had been on the grounded ferry, an Indonesian and a Canadian, were missing. They were only later informed that the two had left the group.

"While this was going on, there were no updates as to where or what was the next step. No one from the authority addressed the issue to us. No one asked about our well-being," Ms Adilah said.

Back in Singapore, the passengers were further outraged when they realised that Singaporean authorities had been told that they had been safely transferred.

Ms Adilah said that the passengers, who were distressed and traumatised, were not given any explanations, and were only told by the police to go home and to lodge a complaint the following day.

"We were also told by Batamfast 'to send an email if there's any question'. We had to tell the personnel from Batamfast to get our particulars pertaining to any claims we may have and queries about the aftermath," she added.

Ms Adilah concluded her post by saying that she hoped the incident would help MPA and other agencies relook their standard operating procedures for emergencies.

She acknowledged that the crew of the ferry had done their best to ensure that the passengers were safe, but stressed that "it was really clear that there were no SOPs during an emergency".

"We are not here to get sympathy. We just want answers. It's our every right to know what had really happened to us."

Ms Adilah's post on Facebook was shared by a number of others, who corroborated her version of events. One passenger who shared the post, Mr Chella Ho, described the incident as a "traumatic experience".

Another, Mr Edmund Seah, shared the post with the status: "I am lucky. I got my life back."

In a statement on Sunday (Nov 29), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said that all 97 passengers on board the ferry had been safely rescued.

An MPA spokesperson added that it was informed by the ferry's operator, Batamfast, that two ferries it had deployed to transfer the passengers had been unable to approach the vicinity of the grounded ferry.



Passenger claims no clear instructions given in Batam ferry rescue
AsiaOne 30 Nov 15;

UPDATE: The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) confirmed that passengers on the "Sea Prince" ferry that was grounded after hitting a floating object had been transferred back to the Nongsapura Ferry Terminal by rafts.

In response to queries by AsiaOne, an MPA spokesperson said that at the time of the incident, it was informed that two ferries were deployed to transfer the passengers by the ferry operator, Batamfast. "Based on subsequent reports, the two ferries were unable to approach the vicinity of the grounded "Sea Prince" and the passengers were instead transferred by small boats and rafts."

After reaching the Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, they then boarded one of the ferries that was earlier deployed to bring them back to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.

The spokesperson added that MPA is working with Indonesian authorities to investigate the incident.

SINGAPORE - All 97 passengers on board a ferry on route to Singapore from Batam were safely rescued after the ferry had hit a floating object and began to sink slowly, according to local media reports.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it received a report of the incident at about 9.45pm on Sunday night, and that ferry operator, Batamfast, immediately activated two ferries to transfer the stranded passengers back to the Nogsapura ferry terminal in Batam.

Agonising wait

However, this may not have been the case, according to a passenger who was onboard the ferry.

Mr Swagat Banerjee, 23, told AsiaOne in a phone interview that the passengers had boarded inflatable rafts instead, and the whole rescue process took about three hours.

"After travelling about a mile and a half from Batam's ferry terminal, we heard a loud noise which resulted in the whole boat stopping immediately," said the Singapore resident.

The ferry had departed Nongsapura ferry terminal at about 6.40pm, 30 minutes later than the scheduled departure time, and was travelling for about 10-15 minutes before hitting an object.

At that time, it was already dark, according to Mr Banerjee, and passengers could only see lots of seaweed and floating objects in the water. It was his guess that the ship had probably hit a coral reef.

The breach was to the hull of the ship and "water was coming in" to the back of the ship, according to him.

Passengers on board were "confused" and did not know what to do as there was no clear instructions from the crew, who apparently did not speak any English.

After 20 minutes, passengers were told to put on life jackets but they were not told how to do so as Mr Banerjee said they weren't standard life jackets and only had a rope around the vest. He said a lot of tourists did not know how to wear the life jackets.

The Batamfast ferry was stranded at sea with little, or no help. There were at least two larger vessels nearby but they did not come closer.

Mr Banerjee said that passengers tried calling various authorities for help but to no avail. "There was no coast guard support the whole time," he said.

In the meantime, non-motorised fishing boats came to provide assistance and supplies like a power generator.

After about 30-40 minutes of waiting, all 97 passengers climbed onto three inflatable rafts only to wait another hour before smaller boats to tow them back to Nongsapura.

After disembarking their ferry, Mr Banerjee said it looked "visibly tilted".

He said he felt safer on the ferry than on the rafts as the rafts were overloaded. The maximum capacity of each raft is supposedly for 25 passengers.

However, Mr Banerjee estimated that there were about 40 people on his raft.

In the transfer process, passengers got wet as it was low tide and they lost personal belongings like passports and mobile phones as they got into the water.

"People suffered light injuries like sprains and cuts," he said.

The passengers eventually got to safety at Batam's ferry terminal at about 10pm, and returned to Singapore by about 12.20am on Monday.

In Singapore, the ferry operator reimbursed passengers $50 for transportation. Two representatives from Batamfast were at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to handle claims of loss of personal items.

In its statement late Sunday (Nov 29) night, MPA said that the Indonesian-registered ferry, "Sea Prince", departed from the Nongsapura ferry terminal with 97 passengers, including 51 Singaporeans, and seven crew members on board.

"All the passengers are accounted for and the ferry is in stable condition," MPA said.


97 passengers rescued from Batam-S'pore ferry
Carolyn Khew, Straits Times AsiaOne 1 Dec 15;

A TRIP to popular holiday destination Batam, Indonesia, became a nightmare for nearly 100 passengers on Sunday night, when the ferry taking them back to Singapore struck something.

They had to leave the ferry and brave the cold and rain while waiting in open waters to be rescued.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was notified of the incident at about 9.45pm on Sunday. All 97 passengers on board, including 51 Singaporeans and seven crew members, are accounted for, it added.

It is understood that other passengers included British, South Korean and Portuguese nationals. No injuries were reported.

The passengers of the Indonesia-registered ferry, Sea Prince, told The Straits Times yesterday that the ferry hit a floating object about 10 minutes into its 45-minute journey from the Nongsapura Ferry Terminal in Batam.

Chella Ho, a quantity estimator in a chemical firm, said she felt the impact of the object against the vessel twice.

"We couldn't see what the object was but we felt this big impact on the ferry, before another impact again for the second time," said the 29-year-old, who had gone on holiday to Batam with two friends.

Passengers said they were told to evacuate the ferry some 40 minutes later, and to board life rafts back to the ferry terminal in Batam.

But water started entering their life rafts. Passengers said they waited for 20 minutes to more than an hour before local villagers came on their boats to rescue them.

The MPA said that the ferry operator, Batamfast, immediately activated two ferries to transfer all the passengers to the Nongsapura Ferry Terminal after the incident.

When contacted, Batamfast's general manager, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chua, said it was challenging for the two ferries to enter the channel to rescue the passengers. The channel was too narrow to accommodate the ferries side by side with the stalled ferry, he added.

The operator deployed three life rafts on the ferry and three bumboats from local villagers to help passengers back to the Batam ferry terminal, he said.

Giving an account of what happened after the ferry hit the object, he said water entered one of the compartments in the hull of the ship after it was struck.

Ferry staff decided to evacuate the passengers for safety's sake even though water had not entered the cabin area, he added.

The monsoon season may have caused the floating object to have gone in the ferry's way, said Mr Chua.

It is not known what the floating object is, but this is being investigated by the MPA.

Christina Siaw, chief executive officer of Singapore Cruise Centre, said that 95 passengers were on board the Sea Raider 2 ferry that arrived at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal at around 12.20am yesterday.

Two passengers decided to stay back in Nongsapura and did not board the ferry back to Singapore, she said.

"We have been informed by the ferry operator that none of the passengers sustained injuries," added Ms Siaw.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the head of the Port of Batam, Gajah Rooseno, said yesterday: "The preliminary information we have received is that the ship had just set sail for about 10 minutes from the port when the engine stalled on the high seas.

"Upon checking the engine, it was determined that it stalled because the propeller snagged on a rope in the water."


Her life raft was sinking in the rain
Lydia Lam, My Paper AsiaOne 1 Dec 15;

SHE had gone to Batam with a group of friends for a day trip and was settling in for the ride back to Singapore when the ferry hit an object in the water.

Housewife Wong Meilan, 62, was one of 97 passengers on board the Indonesia-registered ferry, Sea Prince, on Sunday night.

"We were just 10 minutes out (from the Nongsapura Ferry Terminal) when boom, we hit something," Madam Wong told My Paper yesterday. "I screamed. People started running, it was so messy."

According to Madam Wong, passengers were told to put on life vests and wait, which they did for about an hour.

She had hoped a rescue boat would be dispatched from Indonesia, which was "very near". When none came, crew members began lowering passengers into inflatable life rafts.

"We had to squeeze in and I saw only two rafts. Some people said there were up to 50 people in each raft, which was over the capacity," said Madam Wong in Mandarin.

She added that the ropes securing the life rafts to the ferry looked like they were about to snap at any moment.

"Someone screamed that the ropes were going to snap, so the crew members replaced them with thicker ones," she said before bursting into tears over the phone.

"There were holes in the life rafts and water kept coming in. I had to half-squat and the water reached up to my neck. I was so scared," she recalled.

As it was raining, it was difficult to climb out of the sinking rafts, added Madam Wong, who had lost her passport in the ordeal.

The passengers were later rescued by fishing boats and sent back to Nongsapura Ferry Terminal to take another ferry to Singapore. Madam Wong reached home only at 1.30am yesterday.

Said Madam Wong: "I just hope that they will ramp up their safety measures. Nobody died this time but if it happens again, I don't know if it will be so lucky."



104 rescued after Batam ferry hits floating object
FRANCIS LAW Today Online 1 Dec 15;

SINGAPORE — It started off as a routine 40-minute ferry trip from the Indonesian island of Batam to Singapore yesterday (Nov 29), but things took a turn for the worse when the ferry hit an object in the water. This sparked off a mission to rescue the 97 passengers and seven crew members on board, where even nearby fishing boats gathered to help.

It was hours before the passengers and crew, including 51 Singaporeans, were rescued and brought to shore.

According to ferry operator BatamFast, the ferry, an Indonesia-registered vessel named Sea Prince, reported around 8pm that it had hit an object in Indonesian waters after leaving Nongsapura Ferry Terminal in Batam.

BatamFast passenger operations manager Chua Choon Leng said the operator despatched two vessels to the site of the incident within 20 minutes, but were unable to get closer to the damaged ferry because of sea conditions. The firm then deployed smaller vessels to rescue the passengers at around 9pm.

In the meantime, passengers on board were getting increasingly anxious. One passenger, Ms Chella Ho, shared on Facebook that the experience was traumatic, as there was little information from the crew about the incident or how to put on a life jacket.

While the crew had apparently deployed lifeboats, the boats appeared unable to support the weight of passengers and quickly filled with water, wrote Ms Ho on Facebook, adding that panicked passengers were trying to hold on for dear life.

Asked about these claims, Mr Chua said the lifeboats on the ferries are meant to hold up to 65 people, but declined to comment further as the operator was still trying to ascertain what happened.

Its ferry officers were still being questioned by the Batam harbourmaster today, and will also be queried by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), he said.

The operator was also unable to say what hit the ferry’s hull at this time and what damage it caused. Asked why the object was not detected before it hit, Mr Chua said: “It was at night, around … 8pm, so it was very dark. The radar was unable to pick up (the object) also.”

The company will share more details when it has conducted its own investigations, he said. He added that talks with insurers on compensation for passengers were in their “final stages” today, and that forms would be provided to passengers seeking compensation.

All passengers and crew made it to Batam shores at around 10.10pm yesterday. Ninety-five passengers arrived at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal at about 12.20am today. The crew and two passengers remained in Batam.

The MPA said it received a report on the occurrence at about 9.45pm. It is investigating the incident.


Life rafts 'last means of rescue': Expert
Chai Hung Yin, The New Paper AsiaOne 2 Dec 15;

It is crucial for life rafts to be serviced annually by manufacturer-approved service stations, said an expert with close to 30 years of experience in maritime safety.

The expert, who works for a company that deals in marine safety equipment, said: "These service stations have trained technicians, approved spares and service manuals to service the life rafts.

"The rafts are the last means of rescue, so they must work 100 per cent."

Problems can arise when the life rafts of these ferries are serviced in Batam, said the expert, who declined to be named.

He said: "Whether there is service is a question, because in Batam, most of the service stations are not approved by the manufacturer."

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (Solas) specifies the minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships, compatible with their safety.

It includes life-saving appliances and arrangements.

Ship owners are supposed to follow the rules set by Solas and the International Maritime Organisation.

"Owners circumvent this by going to these unauthorised service stations. Sad to say, it is an industry practice," said the expert.

He said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has the right to inspect vessels in Singapore waters to make sure it is up to safety standards.

CAPTAIN'S ROLE

The captain is paramount during an emergency, said the expert.

"He must take the lead and command. If he doesn't take control, panic will set in.

"If anyone were to be a hero and jump off, it will upset everything. When one jumps, everyone will jump."

In an emergency, only the master of the ship can give the order to abandon the vessel and the crew must be ready at their stations to marshall passengers to safety, said the expert.

As for passengers, he advised them to pay attention to the safety video that will usually play once a small ferry leaves the port, or the safety drills which are held in big ferries to inform passengers where life jackets and exits are.

During an emergency, the best they can do is remain calm and listen to instructions, he said.

"If there is no instruction to put on a life jacket and you put it on, people will start to panic. We don't want to create unnecessary alarm."


Batam ferry incident : Marine engineer's experience put to the test
Natasha Meah, The New Paper AsiaOne 2 Dec 15;

Mr Abdul Alim was among the passengers on the ferry on Sunday night that sprung a leak after hitting something in the sea while on its way to Singapore.

The 25-year-old marine engineer said he put his experience to the test and took charge of the situation.

He was one of two men who rushed to help bail water out of the vessel and tried to get the faulty water pump in the engine room working again.

"I immediately thought to help however I could. I realised the crew members didn't know how to manage what was going on," he said.

"They looked a bit shocked and perhaps they weren't fully equipped with the skills to deal with emergencies like that."

Although the crew members told him they were doing fine handling the situation, he knew he had to step in.

And since the crew members could speak only in Bahasa Indonesia, Mr Alim said he became an interpreter for the crew members and some of the passengers.

"I was running around the ferry, doing what I could. I helped lower passengers into the life rafts and ensured that everyone had their life vests on," he said.

Mr Alim also tried to calm passengers and gave them instructions such as to stand in a straight line down the middle of the ferry to maintain balance.


Panic grips passengers as life rafts take in water
Carolyn Khew, The Straits Times AsiaOne 1 Dec 15;

When their ferry was hit by an object, they escaped onto life rafts, only to feel their hearts sink when water started to seep in.

Ms Chella Ho, 29, a quantity estimator, said the life raft she was on went underneath the water surface at one point, with water reaching up to her neck. She was kept afloat by her life vest.

"People were shouting: 'It's sinking! It's sinking!'" she added.

Another passenger, who wanted to be identified only as Mr Ong, said two of the three life rafts sank.

"Everyone on board the raft was panicking and fighting to get off the sinking raft and onto a sampan," said Mr Ong, who had gone with friends to Batam and was on his way back to Singapore. There were young children on the rafts, he added.

"The remaining passengers on board the ferry tried to shout and calm down those in the waters, asking them not to panic. The scene was chaotic," he said.

About 100 passengers were on their way to Singapore from Batam on Sunday night when the Sea Prince ferry was hit by a floating object.

They put on life vests and got off the ferry onto life rafts, which were supposed to take them to the ferry terminal in Batam.

Instead, passengers had to wait for 20 minutes to more than an hour to be transferred to the terminal in bumboats operated by local villagers.

When contacted, the general manager of Batamfast, the ferry operator, said that two of the life rafts are now parked at the Nongsapura ferry terminal in Batam .

The general manager, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chua, said the two rafts were not damaged.

Passengers The Straits Times spoke to said the situation could have been better handled with clearer and more timely updates.

Asked about this, Mr Chua said: "Of course, it could have been improved, but I believe our crew tried their best."

He added that the company is also investigating the incident and is liaising with an insurance company to work out compensation for passengers.


Batam ferry incident: 'People fended for themselves'
Natasha Meah, Chai Hung Yin, The New Paper AsiaOne 1 Dec 15;

The lights on the life vest, meant to attract the attention of potential rescuers, were allegedly not working.

None of the ferry crew seemed to know how many people the life rafts could safely carry.

And all four life rafts tore after the passengers climbed into them.

Worst of all, the rescue boats that were sent to the passengers never arrived and they had to be picked up by small vessels after bobbing in the cold, dark water for almost half an hour.

That was the horrific account given by some of those on board a ferry, heading to Singapore from the Indonesian island of Batam, which leaked after hitting something in the sea on Sunday night.

Ms Darini Soegiantoro, 32, and her boyfriend, Dutchman John Kerckhoffs, 50, were among the 97 people - including 51 Singaporeans and seven crew members - on board.

Fortunately, all were rescued.

Although the couple were happy to be alive, Ms Soegiantoro said they were appalled at the alleged lack of safety equipment aboard the Indonesia-registered ferry Sea Prince.

"Looking at the leaky life rafts, the chaos and horror as people fended for themselves and jumped into the next life raft or were getting hoisted onto boats and sampans, we realised that any of us could have died," said the product manager.

On Sunday night, the couple and their friends had boarded the 6.10pm last ferry to Singapore from the Nongsapura Ferry Terminal in Batam.

They sat in the front part of the lower deck. Among them were elderly passengers and families with children.

Ms Soegiantoro said: "Ten minutes into the journey, we heard a loud collision and a scratching noise, then the boat rocked. Everyone was quiet and just looked at each other, wondering what had just happened.

"Then we heard the engine slow down. A crew member came and checked something on the floorboard.

"I asked him in Bahasa Indonesia: 'What's going on? What happened? What are you doing there?' and he said he didn't know."

The engine sounded again and the ferry attempted to continue its journey. But less than a minute later, the same scratching sound was heard.

This time, the engine completely stalled. Some passengers stood, wondering what had happened.

Ms Soegiantoro said an alarm began to sound and a crew member rushed in, shouting: "Life vests! Life vests!"

SCRAMBLE

Everyone started to scramble, yanking the vests from under the seats.

Ms Soegiantoro said: "There were all these strings hanging from the life vests and we couldn't get the buckles to work so we just tied the loose strings around our bodies.

"Most of the lights on the vests also failed to work."

As there were no further announcements, Ms Soegiantoro said she went to the upper deck to see what was going on.

"Upstairs, the older people were panicking and there was a crying toddler. As I was walking to the back, I felt the boat tilting," she added.

"I headed to the far back where I saw three crew members using a water pump, trying to bail water."

According to her, two men whom she believed were fellow passengers were also trying to scoop out the water that was already shin-deep

Ms Soegiantoro said she returned to the lower deck to let others know that there was a leak at the back of the vessel.

Soon after, they spotted one ferry coming their way but they were told by the crew members that the water was too shallow for the rescue ferry to pick them up without risking a similar fate.

As the rescue ferry started to turn back, one of the crew members shouted for his colleague to start launching the life rafts.

Ms Soegiantoro added that the first raft was inflated for the elderly and families with children. But after about 50 people had climbed in, it started to leak and a second raft had to be launched for those in the first raft to transfer to.

Mr Kerckhoffs, who is in business transformation services, said: "Each life raft is suitable for about 25 people but so many people were just trying to get out of the ferry, so the rafts were overloaded."

A third raft was launched on the other side of the vessel.

Passenger Adilah Rahmat wrote on Facebook: "The third raft burst due to overloading. The passengers panicked because they could not feel their feet on the raft anymore. Water had come in and the base of the raft was torn, it was sinking.

"The only thing that passengers could hold on to was the rope encircling the raft.

"It also ensured that the passengers did not drift apart.

"A nearby boat came towards the third raft, trying its best to get passengers onboard."

Ms Soegiantoro and Mr Kerckhoffs, along with their friends, stayed back on the sinking ferry to ensure that everyone was safely on the life rafts before they got into the fourth raft.

Ms Soegiantoro, who was wearing a sleeveless dress, was drenched by the cold sea water as she climbed onto the raft.

She soon discovered that the raft had a small tear which she leaned against to stop water from entering it.

They floated away from the ferry in darkness for what felt like 20 minutes before a boat arrived and tried to tug their raft to shore.

The passengers aboard the raft tried to make small talk and boost the morale of the group.

The boat's motor failed twice and a bigger boat came to the rescue.

"The boat was oily, slippery and slimy but at least it was big enough to fit all of us and was stable," said Ms Soegiantoro.

When they reached the Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, they were pulled up to shore and were immediately ushered into a waiting Batamfast ferry bound for Singapore's Tanah Merah Terminal.

Ms Adilah said that when they reached Singapore, none of the officers and personnel appeared to know what had really happened.

She added: "There was no support rendered to the passengers. No personnel came forward to account for any injuries. There were no assistance in calming the passengers and ensuring them of any help.

"The authorities in Singapore were told that we were delayed as there was something wrong with the ferry and that we were safely transferred."

Batamfest: We have done our best

Two vessels were sent to assist distressed passengers on board the Sea Prince which had hit a floating object on Sunday night on its way to Singapore, said Batamfast's passenger operations manager Chua Choon Leng.

But it was risky for the larger ferries to get close to the Sea Prince.

Life rafts and sampans were then deployed to help the victims, Mr Chua added.

He said it was first alerted to the incident at 8pm.

Responding to claims by passengers that crew members hardly helped, Mr Chua said: "We had seven crew members on board - two to handle communication, two were busy pumping the water out and two to three left in action, so some might feel they weren't helping but we have done our best."

As for the life vests, he insisted that the company goes though monthly inspections to ensure that they are safe for use.

The Sea Prince is now moored at the Nongsapura Ferry Terminal and the company is investigating.

Replying to queries from The New Paper, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was informed at the time of the incident by ferry operator Batamfast that two ferries were deployed to transfer the affected passengers in Indonesian waters.

TRANSFERRED

An MPA spokesman said: "Based on subsequent reports, the two ferries were unable to approach the vicinity of the grounded Sea Prince and the passengers were instead transferred by small boats and rafts to Nongsapura Ferry Terminal before boarding one of the ferries that was earlier deployed to take them to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal."

The spokesman added that the affected passengers have since returned to Singapore and MPA is working with the Indonesian authorities to investigate the incident.


MPA investigating 'Sea Prince' Batam ferry incident
Some affected passengers and the ferry crew members have been interviewed, says MPA.
Channel NewsAsia 2 Dec 15;

SINGAPORE: The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is investigating the ferry incident that occurred three nights ago, it said in a media release on Wednesday (Dec 2).

The Indonesia-registered ferry “Sea Prince” had hit a floating object after leaving the Nongsapura ferry terminal in Batam. A total of 97 people, including 51 Singaporeans, had to be rescued.


“MPA is investigating the incident with the ferry operator, Batamfast, and the relevant Indonesian authorities,” it said in the release.

According to MPA, some affected passengers and the ferry crew members have also been interviewed. “Ensuring maritime safety is one of MPA’s key priorities. It takes a serious view of the incident and has reminded all ferry operators in Singapore of the importance of navigational safety and emergency preparedness,” it said.

Members of the public who wish to provide information on the incident can contact MPA at 6375 6217.

"EVERYBODY WAS TRAUMATISED": PASSENGER

One of the passengers on board, Ms Rosbiana Ahmad, related the ferry incident to Channel NewsAsia. "Everybody was traumatised, we didn’t want to leave that night. We wanted to wait for the next ferry, then we’ll leave," she said.

However, Ms Rosbiana said they were told it would not be possible as there were no accommodations available.

She said the first life raft from the ferry was inflated for the elderly, including Ms Rosbiana and her baby. However, the raft did not work.

The passenger said: "The moment I jumped in, the staff said they do not know the capacity of the life raft. It was about 30 of us, and even before we departed from there, it started to sink. They inflated another life raft and we managed to hang on for a bit."

While Ms Rosbiana is thankful to be rescued, she felt that the situation could have been better managed. "I’m blessed to be alive, but the problem is, we just want a definite answer (to why the ferry sunk)," she said.

- CNA/xk

Read more!

Malaysia: Boost for Sabah wildlife with habitat expansion

The Star 30 Nov 15;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s iconic wildlife such as the orang utan and Bornean elephants now have a significantly larger habitat with the connection of two conservation areas.

A businessman’s donation of more than nearly 467,000ha of fo­­rested land has provided the link between the Kalumba and Tabin wildlife reserves near Lahad Datu.

Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said timber businessman Liew Pin Cheong had donated the land with secondary forests that had been undisturbed for more than 20 years and was probably the first of its kind in the country.

“That piece of land had essentially enlarged the safe habitat for wildlife to move besides connecting the two conservation areas.

“It is like a critical piece in a jigsaw puzzle and what we have to do now is put some flesh on the bone, that is to enrich the forests there so that it can sustain the wildlife,” he added.

Although Kalumba was a lesser known conservation area, it had become home to tambadau or wild buffalo and elephants that seasonally migrated to nearby forest reserves such as Kretam, said Mannan.

The businessman handed over titles for the land to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman during the Heart of Borneo conference earlier this month.

Mannan said German resear­chers had suggested a corridor linking Kulamba and Tabin and fortunately the businessman had agreed to donate his tracts of land between the two conservation areas.

Read more!

Indonesia: Police detain managers suspected of causing fires in Jambi

Jon Afrizal, thejakartapost.com 29 Nov 15;

The Jambi Police say they have named officials from several corporations as suspects in the peatland and forest fires that spread a choking haze across the province and further afield, several of the suspects may soon be detained.

Jambi Police Brig. Gen. Lutfi Lubihanto said the police were still working on the case dossiers of the suspects and once the documents were completed, they would move to detain them.

“It is certain that we will detain the suspects but we are still waiting to complete their case dossers,” he said on Sunday.

Lutfi identified four of the corporate suspects by their initials: MN, the manager of PT RKK; SP, the manager of PT TAL; PL, the operational manager of PT ATGA and IW, the president director of PT DHL.

He said that in their cases the suspects had allegedly allowed the fires to start, or were derelict in carrying out their duty to tackle the fires.

Lutfi said the police were also dealing with individual suspects who also started fires.

All suspects, both individuals and corporations, could be charged under Articles 108 and 56 of Law No.9/2014 on plantations and Law No.32/2009 on the environment, he added. (ebf)

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Indonesia: President to Introduce Forestry Reforms, Moratorium at Climate Change Summit

Novy Lumanauw Jakarata Globe 29 Nov 15;

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo will introduce Indonesia's plans to reform the way it manages its forest and peatland at the annual conference of parties on climate change in Paris this week, as it sets an ambitious target to reduce carbon emissions by 29 percent by 2030.

Joko was scheduled to issue a regulation on peat management before heading to Paris, according to Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar. But as he departed at 9.45 a.m. on Sunday, it became clear that the draft regulation will be introduced at the summit, where Indonesia is expected to answer some tough questions regarding the recent wildfire in Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Shortly before departing, the president told reporters at Halim Perdanakusuma airport in East Jakarta that he will ask leaders of developed nations to assist Indonesia in reaching this goal through funding, technology and capacity building.

For its part, Indonesia will introduce a series of reforms in how the country manages its forest and peatland after experiencing one of the worst environmental disasters in its history recently, with daily carbon dioxide emissions from forest fires in October alone exceeding total emissions from the United States' economic activity.

“We will reveal the concrete steps we will take [to reach the target], including peatland restoration, review of existing [forest and peatland exploitation] permits and [introducing] a moratorium [on deforestation] for a specific time,” Joko said.

The president is also scheduled to stage several bilateral talks with state leaders from the Netherlands, Norway, India and South Africa at the sideline of the summit.

“We are committed [to tackling climate change] because we are [a nation] of 17,000 islands which will be devastated from rising sea levels,” he said.

The Paris summit is expected to result in an international and legally binding agreement of efforts to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, which scientists believe to be the tipping point for catastrophic climate change.


Jokowi departs for UN climate conference in Paris
thejakartapost.com 29 Nov 15;

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo left Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta for Paris on Sunday morning to attend the UN Climate Change conference.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said President Jokowi would convey Indonesia’s stance on the fight against climate change during the Paris negotiations, which are set to start on Monday.

Speaking to journalists at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday, Retno said the President, together with 147 other world leaders, would deliver views related to several ongoing climate change issues and explain Indonesia’s position in dealing with the problems.

“The President will convey an Indonesian statement for around three to five minutes. In the statement, we will convey several things, one of which is to give our political support for the success of the negotiations,” said Retno as quoted by Antara news agency.

She said that in the conference, Jokowi would also explain about Indonesia’s strategic position as one of the countries with the largest forests but geographically also prone to the impact of climate change.

“As a developing country, we still need space that is adequate for us to carry out our economic development,” said Retno.

She highlighted that Indonesia had conveyed its commitments on emissions reduction, showing its responsibility to take part in global climate efforts.

State Secretary Pratikno said that apart from attending the UN climate conference, President Jokowi was also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with a number of state leaders while in Paris.

Indonesia is one of 195 members of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the country’s role is crucial in climate change and global development policies.

It is expected that the pledges of more than 150 countries to cut emissions, described as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), could lay a basis for the achievement of a deal in the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC in Paris. (ebf)


Jokowi to deliver Indonesia’s commitment to climate change
Thejakartapost.com 30 Nov 15;

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has arrived in Paris, France, to attend the UN climate conference, COP21.

The annual summit is expected to produce the first global commitment to cut emissions, which will extend or replace the Kyoto Protocol that only obligated industrialized countries to make cuts.

Jokowi is set to start his day by attending the COP21 welcoming of leaders ceremony, where he will be greeted by French President Francois Hollande and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

During a session for heads of state, Antara news agency reported that Jokowi said he would offer Indonesia’s full support for the success of COP21 as well as moral support for France following the recent terrorist attack.

Jokowi will also assert the country’s contributions on the climate change issue, especially in encouraging the full realization of the principle of common but differentiated responsibility.

“We will provide political support and commitment, just like at the previous conference. Due to our convenient position with [more than] 17,000 islands, we have to ensure [that the effects of climate change] can be minimized [as they can] increase sea levels,” Jokowi said at Halim Perdanakusuma airport on Sunday morning.

He added that Indonesia would deliver its commitment to decreasing emissions as well as concrete issues regarding peatland restoration and a review of old permits and moratoriums within a certain period.

On the sidelines of the summit, Jokowi is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Peru’s President Ollanta M. Humala Tasso.

He will also attend a forest event initiated by Norway, Britain and Peru as well as a mission innovation event. (kes)

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Hong Kong's dolphins at risk of disappearing

As Hong Kong seeks to expand its international airport and with a major new bridge project under way, campaigners warn that the dwindling number of much-loved pink dolphins in surrounding waters may disappear altogether.
Channel NewsAsia 29 Nov 15;

HONG KONG: As Hong Kong seeks to expand its international airport and with a major new bridge project under way, campaigners warn that the dwindling number of much-loved pink dolphins in surrounding waters may disappear altogether.

Conservationists say their repeated concerns have fallen on deaf ears, with what they describe as a "rapid" decline of the mammal in the past few decades.

The Chinese white dolphin -- popularly known as the pink dolphin due to its pale pink colouring -- draws scores of tourists daily to the waters north of Hong Kong's Lantau island.

It also became Hong Kong's official mascot for the handover ceremony in 1997, when Britain returned the territory to China.

But despite the affection felt towards the dolphin, campaigners say there may soon be none left.

The proposed construction of a third runway at Hong Kong's busy Chek Lap Kok airport could be the nail in the coffin, they say.

"We think that if that project goes ahead, then it will probably drive the dolphin away from Hong Kong waters," said Samuel Hung, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, who has been going out to sea at least twice a week to monitor dolphin activity for almost 20 years.

"In some ways it seems like we are pushing them closer and closer to the edge of the cliff and if we're making that final push, they will be gone forever. I think now is the time to get our act together."

Hung says there are only around 60 dolphins left in Hong Kong waters -- a drop from 158 in 2003.

"The dolphin decline is caused by a number of factors, including overfishing and environmental pollution... but I think the major contribution is coming from the increase of high-speed ferry traffic," Hung said.

The dolphins have either gone to neighbouring Chinese waters or may have died off, says Hung.

HABITATS DESTROYED

Dolphin habitats have also been affected by the ongoing construction of a 50-kilometre (30-mile) bridge connecting Hong Kong to the gambling enclave of Macau.

The bridge looms on the horizon behind the village of Tai O, on the western tip of Lantau island, from where dozens of dolphin tours go out daily.

"Since the construction of the bridge in 2012 the situation has worsened," says Hung, who blames land reclamation encroaching on dolphin habitats and continuing construction creating disturbance.

The WWF recently placed volunteers on the dolphin-spotting boats to tell tourists about the problems the animals are facing.

"Pollution is quite serious in the air and water... We worry about the marine life being affected," said Hong Kong bank worker Yeung Ka-yan, 30, after taking a short boat trip.

"We were a little disappointed," added her boyfriend, a 26-year-old chef from Taiwan, after failing to spot any dolphins -- a scenario that could become all too common in the years ahead if conservationists' fears are realised.

"DISASTER AWAITS"

Tourist boat operator Wong Yung-kan, who was born in Tai O and has lived most of his life there, said residents used to dislike the dolphins because they ate catch from fishermen's nets, when fishing was the village's most important trade.

"Now the fishing industry has reduced in size, we have had to change our line of work from fishing to taking tourists out on boats to see dolphins," said Wong, 67.

Dolphin-watching accounts for 10 percent of Tai O's tourism business.

"Of course we want them to remain here... the tourists will be happier and we'll be happier as well," adds Wong.

Unlike conservationists, he says he is optimistic for the dolphins' future -- but if the worst happens, villagers will adapt as they did before.

"These natural things won't disappear... if you are not actively eliminating them, then they won't go away," Wong told AFP.

"(But) if this species has to go extinct, there's nothing we can do about it. We can find another way to make a living. People know how to cope with change."

The government refused to be interviewed but told AFP in an email that potential impacts the proposed third-runway could have on the pink dolphins had been "properly assessed and addressed".

"To compensate for the permanent loss of Chinese white dolphin habitats arising from the land formation works, the designation of a new marine park of approximately 2,400 ha (24 square kilometres) in the waters north of the third-runway project has been proposed," the statement from the agriculture, fisheries and conservation department said.

But campaigners criticised the plan, saying the marine park would not be established until at least 2023, when reclamation work for the third runway is expected to finish.

"We don't even know whether the dolphin can hang on and survive and wait," Hung said.

"We have been following some of them for nearly 20 years so those are our old friends.

"They don't realise that there is more disaster waiting for them."

- AFP

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China to launch scheme to curb CO2 emissions in 2017

China is launching a national cap-and-trade scheme in 2017 to curb emissions. While the details still need to be worked out, observers say it shows China's commitment to fight climate change.
Jeremy Koh, Channel NewsAsia 29 Nov 15;

BEIJING: China consumes more than half of the world's coal and emits twice as much carbon dioxide as the United States. However, in 2017, Beijing aims to launch the world's largest national cap-and-trade scheme, one that is expected to exceed the European Union's.

The scheme would limit the amount of pollution that companies can emit and let them pay competitive prices for a share of the quota. Businesses that do not use up their quota can sell the remainder, while those that need more than their quota have to buy additional permits. The aim is to induce companies to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The nationwide move builds on a series of trials that began in 2013 in regions, such as Shanghai and Guangdong.

“Generally speaking, this system worked better than many people thought, and that also gave the Government confidence to expand from pilot phase to national phase,” said Professor Zhang Zhongxiang from the College of Management and Economics at Tianjin University. “But there's still a long way to go as there's still a lot of preparation work to do.”

Specific details still need to be worked out.

The European Union has also struggled to make its decade-old emissions trading programme a success. The price of emitting carbon dioxide fell following the 2009 recession, and generous carbon dioxide emissions allowances have further undercut the market. If carbon is cheap, there would be little incentive for businesses to reduce emissions.

“Companies, businesses are always profit-driven so certainly this will add to their cost and they certainly want to try and reduce that cost,” said Professor Zhang.

While the cap-and-trade system covers key industries, such as power, iron and steel and chemicals, it has left out the transport sector, which itself is a massive contributor of greenhouse gases.

“We know that vehicle emissions are actually a very big proportion to air pollution emissions in large cities - in Beijing, in Shanghai - then if any policy measure can help reduce the emissions coming from vehicles, it could be a good solution,” said Mr Fu Lu, the China director of Clean Air Asia.

MARKING SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE

But observers have said despite the policy's limitations, China's announcement marks a substantial change in the Government’s attitude towards climate change, especially ahead of a major international climate conference that opens on Monday (Nov 30).

“A lot of environmental disputes and the Communist Party regards political stability as a top priority and if you always have the protests and disputes, it'll challenge their legitimacy and ruling, which they certainly don’t want to see,” said Professor Zhang.

“When the media attention was there and when the public outcry was there, actually as NGOs, we were happy because we knew then that the leaders in China, they would take actions, and yes they did. Very, very quickly,” added Mr Fu.

The cap-and-trade system builds on China's declaration to see its carbon dioxide emissions stabilise by around 2030.

- CNA/ek

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'No Planet B', marchers worldwide tell leaders before UN climate summit

Hundreds of thousands of people from Australia to Paraguay joined the biggest day of climate change activism in history on Sunday, telling world leaders gathering for a summit in Paris there is "No Planet B" in the fight against global warming.
Channel NewsAsia 29 Oct 15;

PARIS/PERTH, Australia: Hundreds of thousands of people from Australia to Paraguay joined the biggest day of climate change activism in history on Sunday, telling world leaders gathering for a summit in Paris there is "No Planet B" in the fight against global warming.

In the French capital, where demonstrations were banned by the authorities after attacks by Islamic State militants killed 130 people on Nov. 13, activists laid out more than 20,000 shoes in the Place de la Republique to symbolize absent marchers on the eve of the summit.

Among the high heels and sandals were a pair of plain black shoes sent by Pope Francis, who has been a vocal advocate for action to prevent dangerous climate change, and jogging shoes from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

One activist, dressed in white as an angel with large wings, held a sign saying "coal kills". About 10,000 people joined arms to form a human chain through Paris along the 3-km (2-mile) route of the banned march, organisers said.

More than 2,000 events were held in cities including London, Sao Paulo, New York and Asuncion, Paraguay, on the eve of the Paris summit which runs from Nov. 30-Dec. 11 and will be attended by about 150 heads of government.

"Over 570,000 people called with one voice for global leaders to deliver a 100 percent clean energy future at the Paris summit," said Emma Ruby-Sachs, campaign director of Avaaz, one of the organisers.

Around the world, activists marched, dressed as polar bears or penguins at risk from melting ice, or chanted slogans such as "climate justice".

Organisers said that 570,000 people so far had taken part in rallies worldwide and that they expected demonstrations including in Ottawa and Mexico City later in the day to push the count above 600,000.

"These are the biggest set of global marches in history," said Sam Barratt at Avaaz.

There was no independent verification of the numbers, although none of the individual marches rivalled one in New York last year that drew an estimated 310,000 people.

CLASHES IN PARIS

In Sydney, about 45,000 people are estimated to have marched through the central business district towards the Opera House. Protesters held placards reading: “There is no Planet B,” and “Say no to burning national forests for electricity”.

In London, organisers said 50,000 marchers were joined by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, actress Emma Thompson and opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who said the turnout was especially impressive for a wet November Sunday.

Almost all the demonstrations were peaceful, but riot police fired tear gas and clashed with about 200 protesters in Paris, some wearing masks, in the Place de la Republique.

Police detained 149 people for questioning. French President Francois Hollande criticised the protests as scandalous amid the candles and flowers left on the square in memory of the 130 killed on Nov. 13.

The demonstrators had carried banners calling for the defence of the climate and democracy.

U.S. President Barack Obama and China's Xi Jinping will be among the leaders attending the start of the summit, which organisers hope will produce a legally binding agreement to commit both rich and developing nations to curbing emissions of greenhouse gases, blamed for warming the planet, beyond 2020.

Hopes are high that the Paris summit will not fail like the previous such meeting six years ago in Copenhagen.

Popular and political momentum for tougher action on carbon emissions has accelerated in recent years, with 2015 set to be the warmest on record. Activists are seeking to combat everything from Beijing’s smoggy skies to Canada’s Keystone oil pipeline.

Saiba Suso, a 26-year-old demonstrator in Paris, said the poor were most at risk: "We are paying the price and we are not the cause. The industrialised countries owe us a lot."

Still, all sides say pledges made in Paris will be insufficient to limit a rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, widely viewed as a threshold for dangerous changes in the planet's climate system.

(Additional reporting by Michael Shields in Vienna, Elizabeth Piper in London, Gareth Jones and Paul Taylor in Paris, Elizabeth Piper in London, Morag MacKinnon in Perth, writing by Alister Doyle; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Hugh Lawson)

- Reuters


COP21: Poor countries fear being 'left behind' in rush for deal
Matt McGrath BBC News 30 Nov 15;

A critical UN conference aimed at agreeing a new global approach to climate change is set to open in Paris.

The meeting, known as COP21, will see negotiators from 195 countries attempt to finalise a new treaty over the next two weeks.

Political leaders from 147 countries will address the conference throughout Monday.

But the poorest countries say they fear being "left behind" in the push to agree a deal.

The French government will officially take over the running of the talks during the opening ceremony on Monday.

Thousands march for climate change

Police have locked down the conference centre in Le Bourget, closing roads in the area amid strict security for the leaders' visit.

Presidents and prime ministers will address the gathering amid a growing sense of optimism that an agreement can be secured.

"It will be the turning point, which is what the world requires," said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius at a news conference over the weekend. Mr Fabius will chair the conference until it reaches a conclusion.

Boost for solar

The leaders, who will only stay at the meeting for one day, are likely to make a number of significant announcements during the day to boost the fight against rising temperatures.

France and India will announce a global alliance that aims to bring together 100 solar-rich countries in tropical regions to rapidly expand the availability of electricity from the Sun.

There are also expected to be announcements on funding for renewable energy research.

But among the warm words and good intentions, there are growing concerns among the very poorest countries that their interests might be sacrificed in the clamour for compromise.

Most of the discussions here will revolve around a new deal that would limit global warming to 2C.

Assessments of the more than 180 national plans that have been submitted by countries suggest that if they were implemented the world would see a rise of nearer to 3C.

However, the 48 members of the least developed countries (LDC) group at these talks say that for them, anything more than 1.5 degrees would be catastrophic.

"For the LDCs, economic development, regional food security, ecosystems, and the very survival of their populations and livelihoods are at risk if talks aim only for a 2C world," said Giza Gaspar Martins from Angola.

"The heads of state will be in Paris to set the tone for the negotiations. We renew our call for an ambitious, robust and binding climate deal that does not leave behind the most vulnerable among us."

While the arrival of the leaders will give a significant boost to the conference, the practical difficulties of securing a deal have not gone away.

'Differentiation' issue

At present the negotiating text runs to more than 50 pages of dense text, filled with brackets, indicating disagreement.

Teams of negotiators actually began the work on Sunday conscious of the fact that so many issues remain unresolved.

The hope is that, by the end of this week, a new draft agreement will be ready for environment ministers to haggle over during the second half of the conference.
One of the biggest differences is said to be over what's termed "differentiation" in the talks.

The US and other wealthy countries object to the fact that in these negotiations, a country is determined to be developed or developing based on its wealth when this body was formed back in 1992.

They argue that any new deal must accurately reflect the current position, meaning that a larger number of countries would have to share the burden of cutting carbon.

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